cord basket

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but in the three years we’ve lived in this apartment, I’ve never had a trash can in my craft room. Usually there’s a stray Joann’s bag I can throw extra bits of string or scraps of fabric into, but sometimes I just have a Designated Trash Spot– an area I loosely aim for when tossing clipped threads on the ground. It’s a problem I decided to remedy today by making a cord basket.

Unlike other baskets I’ve made, this one is not woven. Coils and coils of cotton cord are held together with a simple zig-zag stitch, creating a sturdy yet bendable vessel. This idea’s been popping up seemingly everywhere I look, and I finally grabbed some cotton sash and sat down at my sewing machine for a couple hours.

It’s not quite as polished as it could be, but I’m pretty happy with the end result. As far as trash cans go, it’s quite a looker. I’m excited to have a new container-making-method at my disposal, and I’m also excited to finally have a place for trash.

47 Responses to cord basket

Wow! This is absolutely brilliant and I can’t wait to try it (you can never have to many buckets, you know!). I stopped over here from Craftgawker, and I’m really digging’ your site. Looking forward to seeing more posts from you!

Jenn- i can’t say for sure since this is the first one i’ve made, but it definitely seems sturdy enough to go quite a bit bigger.
Ashley- thanks! i used a little over 100 feet of cord on this one.
Caroline- why, thanks! i just went with plain old cord and thread.

If worried about strength, you can use upholstery thread. This is such a lovely way to “store” waste. I have the same problem in my room, so this will be a great addition. You can even dye the cord before sewing with unsweetened Kool-Aid! Thanks for a great idea. Will keep poking my head in your blog.

Hiya Jessica, I have been so obsessed with the project I even dreamed about it twice in the last week. I truly don’t want to annoy you with questions you’ve already answered but I genuinely don’t understand what “#6 cotton sash” is and where to get it. Is that number 6? Hash 6 really means nothing to me at all, being German and used to m, mm and cm and living in the UK (where I am sure people would also use the distance between their nostrils as official increments of measurement) – Also, as a guide, how much did you pay for the rope you used in this?
Thank you so much for your patience and the inspiration to make this!! Ellen

hi ellen– i’m so glad you like the project and am happy to answer your questions! the number six cotton sash is 3/16 of an inch thick (about half a cm). The number 6 seems to be an arbitrary label– the cord comes in several sizes and all are numbered (i have seen 6-12). the cord i used was 100% cotton, but it’s often sold with a reinforced nylon core. i haven’t been able to find where i originally bought it, unfortunately. it was kind of a shady website, but was on sale for under $4 a bundle. i found a similar product on amazon, here:

Hello, I have a question about a form.. because a sewing baskets too and i have a problem that I can’t save a form! the basket goes biger and biger in a both sides… how to do straight basket like you did?
thank,waiting for answer:))